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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29681145">Open Wounds</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fickle4fics/pseuds/fickle4fics'>fickle4fics</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male Friendship, Protective Brian May, Protective Roger Taylor (Queen)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:07:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,906</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29681145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fickle4fics/pseuds/fickle4fics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What begins as an exercise in arguing and unleashing pent up frustration between Brian and the rest of the band sparks a serious and dangerous situation for himself and Roger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Completely made-up story; I don’t own anything and there are very likely to be errors of all sorts attached to this piece of pure fan fiction involving the band, Queen.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Each member of Queen possessed a very high sense of pride and took great offense towards having his dignity ridiculed and attacked, especially by one of the other members of the band.<br/>  Arguments and fights broke out between them routinely, yet somehow they always managed to lick their wounds and make amends with the others because after all was said and done, they knew how strong their bonds of love and loyalty truly were; they were Queen, brothers… family.<br/>  Gene Bambers idolized Dr. Brian May for his intelligence and love for the cosmos.  Gene was a member of a stargazing club;  scientists who got together in their spare time to look at the stars through their high powered telescopes whenever the celestial heavens were gifting Earthlings with a brilliant show.<br/>  Gene became a mega fan of Brian May; he invested a lot of his time into knowing every detail about Queen’s guitarist that he could.  At the beginning, Gene’s interest in Brian had to do with identifying with a fellow scientist who was more than just a nerd, and then it evolved into an infatuation.  Gene was an astronomer; he loved his career and had a nice job at a university.  A colleague took him to a Queen concert one night and afterwards, Gene was sold on the notion that he could be more than just a scientist.  His own parents, especially his father, had laughed at him when he had told them that he wanted to take classes for glassblowing and pottery in addition to pursuing a career as a scientist.  They mocked and scolded him, lecturing their son that art was foolish nonsense and that no one would ever take him seriously if he chose to take up a hobby that they judged as a waste of time and money.  So, younger Gene let go all of his ideas of dabbling in art, and buckled down to have his life revolve around science, a subject that would guarantee him respect and money.<br/>  Instead of glassblowing and pottery, Gene chose to take drawing classes.  He became very proficient with his illustrations; his teachers all complimented him on his eye for details.  Naturally, Gene’s main muse was the night sky and outer space, but on the side, he indulged himself in sketching his idol, Dr. Brian May.  Through his drawings and watching interviews and concerts, and reading magazine articles on Queen, Gene began feeling an artificial closeness to Brian.<br/>  The fight started between Brian and Freddie, then it became a fight between all four members of the band, and ended in a huge shouting match between Brian and Roger over whose contributions to their current album mattered more.  The argument had more to do with personal ego and insecurities than any actual anger towards each other, but in the heat of the moment, each member of Queen felt entitled to lash out at the others and be the loudest.<br/>  Roger and Brian knew how to press each other’s buttons, and both men could be stubborn when each felt that they were in the right.  Unfortunately, Roger always felt like he had little ground to stand on in comparison to his best friend, and it stung a lot whenever he sensed that Brian was wielding his intellect over Roger in an argument.  It rankled him that Brian believed his songs to hold more weight and value than Roger’s, and that the guitar was more important than the drums. <br/>  Their fight was left unresolved because both parties reached a point where neither man could stand to look at the other and they both stormed out of the studio.  John looked uneasily at Freddie and started packing away his bass.  He didn’t feel very good about his own part during the fight.  </p><p>  “Don’t worry Deaky, I’ll follow blondie and have a few words with him,” Freddie said smoothly. “Roger and I have a special connection; I can always get him to open up to me.  After a few drinks, Roger will have cooled down and by tomorrow, he and Brian will be made up and today’s fight will be behind all of us.”  Freddie spoke with enough confidence that John nodded and gave him a smile.</p><p>  “I suppose Brian will need some company whether he wants it or not; I could try to track him down.  The fight was very stressful on him; it wasn’t just between him and Roger,” John replied.</p><p>  “I don’t envy you; Brian knows how to throw himself a pity party just like Roger.  I’ll try to bring blondie home at a decent hour,” Freddie said, giving John a clap on the back.  They two men left the studio in search of their bandmates.</p><p>  John was able to correctly guess that Brian would go to a pub that was regularly frequented by the guys, and relatively close to their shared flat.  He found Brian talking to another guy at the bar, downing a glass of beer rather fast.</p><p>  “He just doesn’t understand the kind of pressure I’m under; his life is so carefree compared to mine.  I’m an astrophysicist and he’s a biologist…. Sometimes I just want to throttle him,” Brian was speaking, animatedly.  John went up to the bar and put an arm on Brian’s shoulder.</p><p>  “You left us very abruptly Brian; I wanted to make sure that you’re alright,” John said.  “How about we leave this nice fellow alone and grab a seat at a table?”  Without waiting for a response, John steered Brian away.  </p><p>  “Good talking to you Dr. May,” the man at the bar said, giving a weak wave of his hand.</p><p>  “Thank you for listening to me unload on you.  You are a very good listener,” Brian said, giving an uncoordinated wave in return.</p><p>  Gene Bambers was having a typical day.  Classes were done and his briefcase was full of papers that needed to be read and graded.  However, Gene didn’t feel any urgent need to get home straightaway, so he decided to stop in at a pub he knew was frequented by the members of Queen.  <br/>  Brian May came straight up to the bar and took a seat next to Gene.  The man ordered a beer, then he put his head in his hands.</p><p>  “I’ve seen that look before,” Gene said, “Sometimes it helps to talk about our troubles.  Forgive me for being forward, but I can spot when another guy is having a bad day.”  Brian glanced at the stranger next to him.  He was slightly older than Brian and had a thick, dark beard.  The man wore glasses and was wearing a suit and tie.  There wasn’t anything outstanding about the man, but he did seem like a nice, normal person.  The bartender set Brian’s beer in front of him.  He thanked the guy and then he turned his body to face the guy who had spoken to him.</p><p>  “I just got into a big fight with my best friend,” Brian admitted.  He started chugging at his beer.</p><p>  “I hope you’ll forgive me, but I am a fan of yours,” Gene said.  “I’ve been to a couple of your concerts.”  This was an understatement; Gene had been to dozens of Queen concerts and he had gone to signings. Brian wouldn’t have recognized him though because Gene never approached the band himself, he was always too shy.  At the meet and greet signings, Gene would have a friend stand in line for him, and when he went to concerts, he made sure to stay anonymous in the sea of fans.</p><p>  “Thanks for your support; Queen loves all our fans,” Brian said.  “In fact, we’d be nothing without fans.”</p><p>  “Well, I’m specifically a fan of yours, Dr. May,” Gene said.  Brian finished his beer surprisingly fast in Gene’s opinion.  Brian gestured for another beer to the bartender, who was quick to replace his empty glass with a full one.</p><p>  “Is that so?  How come me?  Why not Freddie or Roger?  Everyone loves Freddie and they’re wild for Roger.  Can you tell me what it is about a drummer that sends all the girls in a frenzy?  Freddie I understand, he’s got charisma and a voice unlike anyone else alive… but Roger, he just sits there and drums,” Brian mused.  Of course Brian knew this wasn’t the truth; Roger was very gifted as a singer, songwriter and drummer.  No one else could hit drums as hard or as seamlessly as Roger; Brian was in awe of Roger’s technique.  It was as though his drumsticks danced and wove magic with the same assuredness which Brian’s own fingers flew over the strings of his Red Special.  Brian knew that Roger could also play guitar and the tambourine with great passion.  Deep down, Brian knew that he was just feeling sorry for himself and that was why he was saying negative things about his best friend.</p><p>  “Roger can’t hold a candle to you, Dr. May,” Gene replied.  “You’ve written more songs, all of which are fantastic, and you built your own guitar.  In my book, you’re a far better musician than Roger Taylor.  Honestly, I think it’s just because he’s got blonde hair and wears sunglasses all the time.  There’s no actual substance to him…. You on the other hand, have a Ph.d in astrophysics on top of being the guitarist for Queen.  I’d rather talk with you any day,” Gene replied.</p><p>  “He just doesn’t understand the kind of pressure I’m under; his life is so carefree compared to mine.  I’m an astrophysicist and he’s a biologist…. Sometimes I just want to throttle him,” Brian was now using hand gestures and his voice was raised a bit.  He was also working on his third beer, downing it without even enjoying the taste.  Gene saw John approach them and knew that their conversation would be ending.  He felt put out when John whisked Brian away, and as he sat alone to finish his drink, Gene began thinking about how he wanted to have another chance to talk with Brian again, as two regular guys kindling a friendship.  This train of thought stuck with Gene all night, even when he was back at his house and getting ready for bed.</p><p>  Gene formulated a plan in his head that if he was able to do Brian the huge favor of removing the thorn from his side known as Roger Taylor, then surely the man he respected more than anyone else, would have to be touched and want to become friends with Gene?  Gene went to sleep that night with a big smile on his face.  It would require careful planning and patience, but Gene was positive that he could pull it off; he was a clever man of science after all.</p><p>  Everyone knew that Queen loved to party after a concert.  They had their groupies who would follow the band to whichever bar they wound up going to afterwards, and this made it easy for Gene to tag along unnoticed.  A week before executing his plan, he went to a barber shop for a shave and haircut so that his physical appearance wouldn’t cause him to stand out too much from the crowd.  In order for his plan to work, he felt that he needed to appear less like a university professor and more like a regular guy out for some fun on the weekend.</p><p>  Roger stepped outside for a cigarette from the bar.  Queen had played a really great set and the energy of the fans had been thrilling.  The band went to a bar next to their venue; nearly everyone from the concert had followed them out of eagerness to be a part of the after party.  While Roger enjoyed the attention and unwinding with drinks and dancing after a show, he also needed space to collect his thoughts.  Gene followed him and attempted to start up a friendly chat once it was just the two of them standing along the side of the building in the dead of night.</p><p>  “You’re Roger Taylor!” Gene called out.  “I apologize for intruding, but I saw you come out and I thought, ‘I will be kicking myself tomorrow if I don’t say hello and ask for an autograph.’ ”  Gen pulled out a pen and pocket-sized notebook.  He held them both out to Roger.  For his part, Roger looked like a deer caught in headlights.  He had just lit up and he wasn’t really in the mood to talk with folks, that was the whole point of why he had come out for a cigarette, to be alone.  However, he didn’t want to be impolite to an obvious fan.  Roger smiled at the man approaching him and accepted the pen and notepad.  He scribbled a short and sweet message before returning the items.  Gene grinned widely and pocketed his things.  Roger took a drag off his cigarette and then blew out a long, thin stream of smoke.  </p><p>  “Enjoy the rest of your night,” Roger said, kindly.  He hoped that the guy would take a hint and leave, but by the way he was shifting on his feet, Roger had the impression that the guy had more to say.</p><p>  “You know, I’m going to be honest,” Gene said, “I am a huge fan of Queen.  I know your songs by heart; I sit up at night listening to your albums until I fall asleep.”  Roger began feeling anxious by the shift in the energy between the two of them.  He blushed and took another puff of his cigarette.</p><p>  “Thank you for your dedication,” Roger replied.  “We love to hear that our fans love our music; it is always great to hear how much our music means to others.”  </p><p>  “Yeah, your songs are the best,” Gene said.  “I especially love the songs that Brian writes; that man is a genius.”  Something in the way that Gene said the word genius caused a tingle to go down Roger’s spine.  Although he wasn’t finished with it, Roger stamped out his cigarette, deciding that it was time to get back inside and rejoin his friends.</p><p>  “This was a nice chat,” Roger said, “Please be sure to come to our next concert.  We always make sure to put on a fantastic show.”  He attempted to walk past Gene, but Gene managed to block him.</p><p>  “Brian May is the greatest man alive,” Gen said as though making a threat.  Roger licked his lips as he searched for words.</p><p>  “Yeah, I know that,” Roger replied, “Brian’s my best mate.”  He shifted his weight uncomfortably.  Roger could tell that this man meant to start a confrontation for some reason unbeknownst to him, and so he hoped that if he chose the right words, then he could smooth things over with the guy and go back to having a fun night out with his best friends.  Gene stepped closer to Roger.</p><p>  “I don’t think you appreciate what a brilliant man Dr. May is, and that someone like me would give anything to have him as our best friend.” Gene said with a raised voice.  Roger felt like letting out a nervous chuckle, but kept himself still.  He could detect that this man was dead serious.</p><p>  “I feel that I have somehow offended you and I would really like to make it up to you.  How about if we go back inside together and I bought you a drink?  I will even introduce to you to Brian.  I think he would be very flattered to meet such a great admirer of his,” Roger said fast, but with forced calmness.  </p><p>  “Actually, what I need is for you to come with me,” Gene answered.  His eyes were now piercing Roger’s eyes.  Roger tried to tug out of Gene’s grasp when one hand grabbed his wrist.  He failed to notice the makeshift weapon Gene held in his free hand, which was used to incapacitate Roger.</p><p>TBC…..</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roger was missing, that much was clear.  He disappeared the night before and it was stressing everyone out, especially Brian because they still hadn’t made up from their most recent fight.  Rather than swallowing his pride and talking to the drummer about his mindset, Brian had avoided him and given him the cold shoulder.  Roger had accepted the lack of communication the way a wounded dog might: with sad eyes that couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze and a withdrawn disposition.  He internalized the freeze-out and told himself that he deserved his friend’s treatment of him.  He was quieter than usual and acted very shyly even when the only company around him was John and Freddie.  Freddie allowed the drama to unfold, even though he wasn’t a fan of all the tension between his two friends.  He told himself that if it got in the way of their performance or it went on for another week, then he’d put his foot down and make them both see sense.  John on the other hand tried his best to engage Brian and Roger in friendly chatter in an effort to get his friends speaking to one another.  He would gladly take the obnoxious clash of egos over the cold silence between them where there should have been warmth and merriment.<br/>
Rehearsals before the last show had lacked chemistry between the guitarist and drummer.  John had tried to make up for this by dividing his attention between dancing closely to Brian and Roger during their show.  To the audience John looked to be dancing up a storm around the stage with the same enthusiasm as Freddie at every other performance.</p><p>  “Would he have gone to his mother’s in Truro?” John pondered.  </p><p>  “Maybe, but it might be too early to give her a call though,” Freddie answered.</p><p> “It seems over the top even for Roger to have simply skipped town without telling us.  I say we file a missing person report if we haven’t heard from him by tonight,” Brian said.  His gut told himself that something bad had happened to his friend and that delaying a search with the help of the police was a mistake.</p><p>  Where was Roger? Brian replayed the day and evening before, in his head.  Freddie had humored him by going along with his bossy attitude during pre-show soundcheck and last-minute suggestions in the dressing room.  John had talked a bit with Roger and had even managed to get a smile out of the drummer, but mostly, Roger had sat by himself, passively going along with whatever was happening around him.  He was wearing a frilly white shirt loosely opened with his chest exposed, and a pair of tight, black, leather pants.  His hair was left to hang freely with a wavy bounce to the blonde tresses.  Brian hadn’t felt as cool in his more conservative shirt and vest with a nice pair of black jeans, and even considered trading out the long sleeves for a t-shirt.  The concert went off without a hitch as far as the audience was concerned.  The fans sang along and cheered wildly for the band members to take notice of their enthusiasm.  Afterwards, they’d walked across the street to a well-liked pub and mingled with people, mostly fans from the show who more than happily followed on their heels.</p><p>  Brian remembered Roger being surrounded by hot girls who all wanted to get to know him up close and personally.  Roger had appeared like his normal, easy going self.  Brian had assumed that Roger was in good enough company that he didn’t need to be babysat or reminded that he and Brian were not on speaking terms at the moment.  So, instead of walking over and asking to talk in private, Brian found his own group of fans to talk with and pushed thoughts of Roger to the back of his mind for the rest of the evening, or until it came time to head home.<br/>
Neither Freddie nor John remembered seeing Roger leave at any point.  Freddie had drank, talked and danced all evening.  He had a vague memory of seeing Roger laughing with a bunch of girls who were hanging onto his words and body alike, but couldn’t recall much else.  John had been resting his feet and feeling very content to sit at a table with a few other people, whom he allowed to carry the conversation.  He saw Roger talk and dance a little, but at some point John lost track of the blonde’s movements.  The three friends decided that Roger might have either gone home with a girl or they would find him back at the flat.  When the next morning came and went without any word from the drummer, they started to give voice to their anxiousness over their friend’s whereabouts.  The feeling grew stronger as the day wore on and Roger didn’t call or return home.<br/>
Freddie and Brian contacted mutual friends and John decided to check around town in case he was out on a walk or something.  When evening came and there were still no leads, Brian called the police.  They asked generic questions about when Roger had last been seen and what he was wearing, then they said that they’d look into it.  This didn’t feel at all helpful because it didn’t immediately result in learning where Roger had gone to.</p><p> </p><p>  Gene Bambers woke up at his usual time for a Sunday morning even though he had been out late the night before.  He made up his bed, took a shower and dressed for church.  Then he went into his kitchen and prepared himself a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast with a pot of tea.  His pet fish were swimming around in their aquarium in the living room.  He added  a couple shakes of their food into the water before leaving the house.  After church, Gene came home and exchanged his button down shirt and tie for a simple, but nice sweater.  Next he went into the kitchen to make a sandwich.  He decided to make something relatively simplistic yet filling, so he took out mayonnaise, turkey, tomato and cheese from the refrigerator and paired the ingredients with two slices of wheat bread.  The sandwich was accompanied with a few slices of apples on a plate.  Gene carried the light lunch and a glass of water downstairs to his basement.  </p><p>  Roger couldn’t get up from his position on the bed in the guest room of Gene’s basement due to a broken shin and ankle bone, let alone the handcuffs which his kidnapper had used to keep him secured by his wrists to the bed frame.  Roger had woken in excruciating pain and the memory of Gene’s assault against him with a mallet.<br/>
The older man had produced the unconventional weapon from where it had been tucked closely to his waistband and swung it fast and hard at Roger’s right shin.  Roger had cried out in pain and fallen to the ground.  Weakly, Roger had shut his eyes against the pain and tried to get away from his attack, but Gene wrapped a large, glove covered hand over his mouth and used his other hand to haul Roger upright, and he dragged the younger man through the alleyway and down another until he came to where he had left his car along a darkened street.  By this point Roger was mustering his courage to make an all-or-nothing attempt to get away regardless of the crippling pain he felt in his leg at every jarring sensation of being dragged like the train of a wedding dress trailing behind a bride.  He had seen a glimpse of the car and his survival instincts overrode the pain from placing weight on his injured leg.  Roger had let his entire body go slack, effectively becoming deadweight in Gene’s grip.  Not expecting this, Gene had lost his hold on Roger, which gave the drummer just enough time to force himself to roll out of immediate reach.<br/>
Unfortunately, even crawling on his stomach was out of the picture.  Gene had let his impatience for Roger’s stunt known by swinging his mallet down on the ankle of the already injured leg.  Roger had then cried out in agony, so Gene punched him in the face a couple of times.  The drummer went silent as his head hit the pavement and Gene grabbed him around the waist.  Gene had then hoisted Roger up in the air and proceeded to shove him into the trunk of the car.  Once Gene had returned home, he parked his car in the garage.  Roger was still unconscious and Gene carried him down to the guest room in his basement.<br/>
At one time Gene had a girlfriend who liked a little kink in their sexual activities.  Even though they weren’t together anymore, Gene had kept the different pairs of handcuffs they used.  He secured Roger’s wrists together and then cuffed him to the bed frame and left him alone for the rest of the night.</p><p>  Roger had spent half of Sunday drifting in and out of consciousness.  He had no idea where he was or who had kidnapped him.  No one came to check on him after what felt like a very long time, and so at one point in the day Roger wondered if he had been taken to a remote area and left to die alone, handcuffed to a bed.<br/>
Then all of a sudden the door to the room was opened and in walked a seemingly normal looking older man carrying a plate with a sandwich and some apple slices with a glass of water and a cloth napkin, which he set on the nightstand.<br/>
The man unlocked the cuffs securing Roger to the bed frame, but not the ones around his wrist.</p><p>  “Made you lunch,” Gene said.  </p><p> “I need to take a piss,” Roger rasped.  Gene looked uneasily at Roger, as though he hadn’t considered this.</p><p>  “Oh, well, I suppose I can help with that,” Gene said.  Humiliation at being slung over the man’s shoulder in a fireman’s hold and carried to the bathroom where he was then forced to rely on his abductor to keep him from falling over whilst relieving himself.  Once Gene settled Roger back on the bed, he started speaking to Roger again as though the blonde was a guest and not a prisoner.</p><p>  “If you tell me your address, then I can let Dr. May know that I have everything well in hand,” Gene said.</p><p>  “What does this have to do with Brian?” Roger demanded.</p><p>  “Dr. May is my idol,” Gene explained.  “When someone I care about is hurting, then I can’t help feeling like I have to intervene and solve the problem.  You hold Dr. May back because you can’t see what a great man he is.  He says you are his best friend, but you wound him with your jabs to his pride.  You are a terrible friend and your contributions to Queen pale in comparison to Dr. May’s brilliance.  You are here to be taught a lesson, a very valuable lesson.”</p><p>  “Have you kidnapped Brian too?  What about Freddie and John, are they somewhere around here?” Roger asked, trying to keep a lid on his mounting anger.  “You know that you can’t keep me here for much longer.”</p><p>  “I suggest eating this delicious sandwich I made for you.  When you’re finished, you can tell me where I can go to pick up Dr. May.  I have a very strong feeling that he’s going to be so happy that he’ll make me his new best friend,” Gene replied.  He settled back in a chair which was in the room and watched Roger unblinkingly with a big smile on his face.  </p><p> </p><p>  TBC...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gene felt nervous and giddy as he looked himself up and down in the bathroom mirror.  He wanted to make sure he looked good when he went over to pick up Dr. Brian May.  He decided on a dark, navy blue suit with a black and white striped tie and a white shirt.  He combed his hair a second time before heading out to his car. </p><p>  Freddie answered the door when Gene rang the doorbell.  He was both dreading that it might be the police with news of having found Roger dead, and hopeful that it might be the police with good news at having discovered the drummer’s whereabouts.   Freddie was not expecting to see a nicely dressed, older man who was about a head taller than himself, standing on their doorstep.</p><p>  “Hello, I’m here to visit Dr. Brian May,” Gene said, “We met at a pub a few days ago; I did some asking around to find out where he lives and a new friend of mine was able to give me the address.  Dr. May was very upset earlier over a fight he had with a friend, and well after thinking about it, I felt motivated to come by and see if he was feeling better.”  Freddie considered Gene’s words; something felt off about the man and yet  he couldn’t put his finger on it.  Freddie gave Gene a very big, toothy smile.</p><p>  “Not a problem, please wait here and I shall fetch Dr. May for you,” Freddie said in a jovial voice. He turned his head towards the direction of the living room and gave a shout.  “Brian darling, you’ve a visitor!”  Brian and John looked at each other.  Brian frowned, then shrugged his shoulders and got up from the couch where he had been silently beating himself up over Roger’s disappearance while Freddie and John hovered close by out of concern for his mental well-being.  John followed Brian to the door;  Freddie stepped aside for Brian once he got there.</p><p>  “Hello there, I’m Brian May,” Brian said.  Gene stuck out his hand.  Brian shook it out of formality.</p><p>  “Dr. May, I am Dr. Gene Bambers. I’ll understand if you don’t remember us meeting the other day.  You were intent on getting drunk, and I could tell that something was bothering you,” Gene explained by way of introduction.  </p><p>  “Ah, yes, I do recall your face a little.  You were the nice fellow who was polite enough to listen to me ramble a bit; I apologize for that,” Brian replied.  </p><p>  “No apology necessary,” Gene said.  “I was honored, after you left the bartender and a few other folks told me who you were and I have to admit that I was very impressed.  Anyway, Dr. May, I wanted to invite you out for a proper drink and to get better acquainted.”</p><p>  “That is a very kind offer, but right now isn’t really a good time,” Brian answered.  “One of our housemates might have gotten himself into some trouble and we’ve promised him that if he needed to call us for help, that we would all be hanging out at the house.”  Gene’s face fell at this.</p><p>  “You know Bri, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for you to go out for just one drink,” Freddie said.  Brian looked at Freddie, puzzled.  John chimed into the conversation.</p><p>  “It’ll be fine Brian,” he said, “Freddie and I don’t mind if you take a breather.  We should be able to manage keeping our ears open should the phone ring, just fine on our own.”  Freddie wrapped an arm around John’s shoulder.  </p><p>  “I promise it’ll just be for one quick drink, and then I’ll bring you right back home,” Gene said.</p><p>  “Let me grab a jacket then,” Brian replied.  After grabbing a jacket from the hall closet, Brian followed Gene to his car.  Freddie and John stood on the porch.  Freddie studied the plates on Gene’s car and as soon as it was out of sight, he ushered John back into the house.</p><p>  “Freddie, why did we just encourage Brian to go off with a stranger?” John asked.  Freddie picked up a notebook and started jotting something down in it, and then he went to the telephone.  As he was dialing and waiting for someone to pick up on the other end, he answered John’s question.</p><p>  “I think that man knows where Roggie is, and perhaps having his license plate number will be useful to the cops,” Freddie said.  </p><p>  “What about Brian’s safety?” John pressed.</p><p>  “Well, I’m sure Brian will be alright,” Freddie said.  John wasn’t so sure, but he knew to trust Freddie, so without much else to do, he put some water into a kettle to boil for tea. </p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile……..</p><p> </p><p>  Gene drove Brian to back to his house instead of going into town.  Brian looked bewildered and studied the suburban neighborhood from the passenger side window.</p><p>  “Is this where you live then?” Brian asked.  he certainly didn’t like what was happening, and was feeling very suspicious about Gene.  He also didn’t see that he had much of a choice, but to ‘play’ along because his gut told him that the older man was connected to Roger’s disappearance.</p><p>  “I thought that it might be better if we came to my place for a couple of beers instead of trying to talk over the noise of a crowded pub,” Gene answered.  “I really do feel that it’ll be nicer; I just cleaned the house so that it’s nice for company.”  The two men got out of the car and Brian followed the older man up to the front door.</p><p>  “This seems like a nice neighborhood,” Brian commented.  He couldn’t help admiring the nicely cut lawns, the well trimmed trees and the colorful flower beds adorning the houses up and down the street.</p><p>  “It is usually quiet and everyone is very friendly,” Gene replied.  “Please make yourself at home Dr. May.”  He opened the door and led Brian over the threshold.  Then he shut the door and double locked it behind them.  “Why don’t you head on down to the basement, there is something that I would very much like to show you,” Gene instructed.  “I will grab us a couple of beers.”  Brian opened the door which Gene indicated as leading downstairs and shuffled down the carpeted steps.  </p><p>  There was a main area with a couch and a couple chairs arranged around a coffee table and a television set.  There was a light switch for some ceiling lights and a couple standing lamps for additional brightness.  Brian noticed that there was also a bathroom and a hallway that appeared to lead to a couple smaller rooms.<br/>
Brian took off his jacket and sat on the couch.  Gene came down a few minutes later with two bottles of beer, napkins and an assortment of different flavored crisps in medium sized bowls.  He put the snacks on the table and handed Brian one of the beers.</p><p>  “Cheers,” Gene said.  He and Brian clinked their bottles after opening the beers.  They each took a sip.</p><p>  “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself Gene,” Brian suggested.  “I get the impression that I was the one doing all of the talking last time.”</p><p>  “Oh well there isn’t much to tell really,” Gene said.  “I live here alone, except that I do have my fish for company.”  Brian recalled seeing the aquarium in the living room.  </p><p>  “It’s a nice collection you have,” Brian complimented.</p><p>  “I was never a dog or cat person; I prefer fish because they’re generally low maintenance and I enjoy watching them swim around the tank,” Gene explained.  </p><p>  “What do you do for work?” Brian asked.</p><p>  “I teach astronomy, actually,” Gene said.  “You know, I have to confess that I know little more about you than I have been letting on.”  Brian didn’t say anything, he just allowed Gene to continue talking.  “I know that you studied astrophysics and that you love taking pictures with a stereo camera.  I just think you are a remarkable man.  I don’t think I know anyone who is as accomplished as you are; this is such a treat having you over at my house.  I actually took up art classes because of you.”</p><p>  “Well that is very flattering,” Brian said.  He held his beer bottle awkwardly in his hands with his knees pressed together.  Gene on the other hand seemed very content; his legs were crossed and he held his beer in just one hand.  He leaned over and helped himself to some crisps.  Brian cleared his throat.</p><p>  “Gene I was remembering that you said you had something that you wanted to show me, perhaps it was some of your artwork?” Brian ventured.  Gene chuckled.</p><p>  “Aw, no you wouldn’t be interested in my sketches, they’re just of the solar system…. the truth is that l was really affected at seeing you so upset the other day.  I kept asking myself why any friend of yours, especially one whom you claim to be your best friend, would dare to start a fight with you?”  Brian leaned forwards a bit, resting his forearms on his knees and placing the beer bottle between his thighs.</p><p>  “It is true that I was upset at the time, but then I went home and was able to recollect myself.  My other friends helped me to see things more rationally,” Brian said carefully.</p><p>  “It’s ok Dr. May, I completely understand that you are a gentleman, and that you would never harm anyone in the slightest, even if they gave you plenty of provocation,” Gene replied.  He brought his bottle to his lips and gulped down more beer.  “I can imagine that a guy like Roger wouldn’t understand, let alone appreciate what an intelligent and important person you are.  I own your albums and I have listened to your interviews; you and Freddie do far more for Queen than either John or Roger,” Gene said.  </p><p>  Brian’s uneasy feeling in his stomach was growing by the second.  Nervously, he drank more of his beer, but kept a steady eye on his host.</p><p>  “Roger and I do have occasional disagreements and we have had our share of verbal spats, but then we always make up afterwards,” Brian explained.</p><p>  “You said that you would love for the chance to throttle the blonde,” Gene corrected.  “You wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t mean it on some level.”  </p><p>  “Roger went missing after our concert last night,” Brian stated.  “Please tell me honestly, were you at our show?”  Gene finished his beer in one long gulp.  “It is really important to me that I know whether or not you have harmed my best friend,” Brian continued.  He set his unfinished beer on the coffee table.  </p><p>  “He’s dumb, loud mouthed and quite a prima donna in those skimpy outfits and his long, blonde hair.  You deserve someone better for a best friend.  I’d go nuts if I had to put up with someone like him every day,” Gene said.  Brian got to his feet.</p><p>  “Is Roger here?  Somewhere in this house, perhaps in one of those rooms here in the basement?  Tell me what you did!”  Brian demanded.  </p><p>  “Calm down Dr. May,” Gene said, “There’s no need to get upset.  I can understand that you might think that I overstepped my boundaries, but I swear that I only had your best interest at heart.  How about I show you my big surprise?”  </p><p>  Brian followed Gene to one of the rooms at the end of the hallway.  Brian was not at all surprised to see that the door locked from the outside and that Gene had a key for the handle.  Once the door was unlocked, Brian barged into the room.  He turned on the lights and saw Roger lying unconscious on top of the covers of the bed occupying the room.</p><p>  “Roger!”  Brian yelled his friend’s name.  He instinctively rushed to the bedside, but rather than dropping to his knees to check Roger over, Brian rounded on Gene.  “What did you do to him?” he shouted, angrily.  </p><p>  “Dr. May, will you kindly calm down?  There is no need to shout at me; I understand that you are upset,” Gene said, calmly.  “Will you just hear me out?”</p><p>  “Hear you out?  How do you intend on justifying kidnapping and torturing a man, and keeping him chained up in your basement?”  Brian had his hands clenched into fists.  He wanted to attack Gene, but thought better of it.  It was unquestionably clear to Brian that Gene was unstable and there was no telling what more he was capable of doing.</p><p>  “Why don’t you get comfortable Dr. May?  I think that you need to understand that I can’t allow you to leave, and that it truly is for the best.  I was really hoping that once you saw how devoted and loyal I am to you, then you and I would become best friends.  I would never make you angry by questioning your brilliance or by starting arguments; I know what a great man you are and I value everything about you,” Gene said.  Brian looked back at Roger.</p><p>  The blonde’s face had cuts, bruises and dried blood on it.  Roger’s blonde hair was looking matted and tangled with sweat.  His clothes were dirty and rumpled.  Both wrists were handcuffed to the bed frame and one pant leg was torn from the ankle up to the knee.  Brian could also see that Roger was pale and feverish.</p><p>  “I didn’t ask or tell you to do this,” Brian said, darkly, “Roger is my best friend; I would never want to see him hurt.  What you’ve done is beyond excusable.”  Brian backed away from Gene and crouched next to Roger’s motionless form.  He touched the back of his hand to Roger’s hot forehead.</p><p>  “You’re supposed to be thanking me,” Gene said.  “I’ve done you a favor…”. He brushed his hands through his hair.  “What a mess, what a mess.  I’m so stupid, of course I bungled this…. You are Dr. Brian May and I’m a complete nobody.”  Brian wasn’t listening to Gene.  He had his attention focused on his best friend.</p><p>  “Roger,” Brian called softly, “Roggie…”. Roger didn’t stir.  Brian looked down at Roger’s leg, the one with the long tear.  He saw makeshift bandages from beneath the material of Roger’s pants.  Brian turned his head and fixed Gene with a vehement glare.</p><p>  “It figures that you don’t appreciate what I’ve done.  Roger Taylor makes your life a nightmare and when someone like me tries to help you out, you suddenly act like this isn’t what you wanted!” Gene shouted, angrily.  Brian’s upper lip twisted into a snarl and he rushed Gene, tackling him about the waist.  The two men brawled on the floor, Brian didn’t have much of a plan beyond inflicting pain upon Gene, whereas Gene was in “damage control” mode, having realized that his fantasy of being Brian’s new best friend had been blown apart and that if he didn’t gain the upperhand, then Brian was going to leave.  Not wanting things to end like this, Gene flipped Brian on his back and punched him in the face until he was out cold.</p><p>  Gene was beyond distressed at the moment.  He had hurt his idol, but he told himself that he had to do it; Brian had given him no choice.  The older man hoisted Brian up by under his armpits and positioned the guitarist in a hunched position next to the wall at the foot of the bed.  Then he left the room for a moment and returned with a roll of duct tape.  Gene bound Brian’s wrists behind his back and secured his ankles together too. </p><p>  “I really am sorry that I have to do this, but I can’t let you go.  This isn’t ideal, and maybe in time you’ll see that I am actually a really good guy, and that the two of us have a lot in common,” Gene said.  “This really doesn’t give me any pleasure, someone like you deserves to be waited on by a team of personal assistants.  I often imagine that the two of us will make a big discovery one day and then publish a book together on the dangers of meteors hitting the Earth.  Now, you wait here while I go clean up and get changed.  Perhaps when you wake up from your nap, you’ll be in a better mood to hear me out.”  Gene ruffled Brian’s curly hair and then left the room, locking it before going upstairs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Last chapter; thank you for reading this story.  Thank you those who left/leave a kudos, I appreciate it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The police assured Freddie and John that they were running a trace on the plate number that Freddie had given them, and that the only thing left to be done was to wait on the results.  The lead officer assigned to the case was very stern, but also sympathetic towards how worried Freddie and John had become; he instructed the two musicians to stay put at home and have faith that the police would find their friends.  Evening came and neither man could do more than sit anxiously on the couch, waiting for the police to get back to them with good news.  </p><p>  Roger moaned weakly and tossed his head as though trying to waken from a bad dream.  Brian jerked his own head up and groaned at the pain he felt from Gene’s fists.  He made a futile attempt to struggle with his bonds, then he gave up and willed himself to breath evenly and to try to remain calm, which was far easier said than done.  He looked up at Roger lying on the bed.</p><p>  “Roger, wake up,” he called to his friend.  “I’m sorry Roger.  I’m sorry for this whole bloody mess; if I hadn’t picked a fight with everyone and gotten myself so worked up, then maybe you and I wouldn’t have blown-up at each other, and then I wouldn’t have gotten drunk by myself, and started saying things I didn’t mean to a complete nut job of a stranger.  This is all my fault.  Freddie, John, the police… they don’t know where we are.  I don’t know how, but I’m going to think up a plan to get us out of here.”</p><p>  Roger’s tossing intensified.  Brian felt just as tormented by the situation because he was helpless to be able to offer a comforting touch from his hands.  Instead, he could only watch and listen as Roger let out a panicked cry in response to whatever was frightening him in his dream.  Brian tried talking to his friend again, in hopes that his voice would be able to penetrate through Roger’s unconsciousness.</p><p>  “I am sorry for picking on you, and for opening a wound between us.  I know how sensitive you get around your passion for drumming and contributing to all our songs, and writing your own songs to add to our albums with your blend of creativity.  I don’t always give you the credit you deserve for how much of yourself you add towards making Queen so unique and special.  I’m sorry Roger…. I know we’re in deep trouble right now, and this is all too little too late, but I still want you to know how I really feel,” Brian confessed.  He couldn’t do much for the few tears that welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, so he simply acknowledged their wetness against his skin.</p><p>  “It’s not all your fault Brimi,” Roger said, softly.  His head was turned toward Brian, though his eyes reflected pain and fever, the drummer managed to speak with semi-coherency.  Brian tilted his head up and looked at Roger with fondness.  “I pick on you just as badly; we both enjoy antagonizing each other as much as we love playing music together and being on stage with Freddie and John, singing to large crowds.  This time things just went a little too far.”  </p><p>  “Tell me what hurts Roger,” Brian coaxed.  </p><p>  “Everything hurts,” Roger replied, “My head, my chest, my stomach, my back, and especially my leg and my ankle.  That rotter fan of yours broke my shin and ankle bones; I’ll likely be crippled for the rest of my life because of him.”</p><p>  “He’s not a fan, he is a psychopath,” Brian corrected.  </p><p>  “I tried convincing him that you would see through his ploy, and that he was wasting his time by keeping me as his prisoner,” Roger said.  “I told him that I wasn’t worth his effort of using as bait for his scheme to lure you away from the others and bring you back here.”</p><p> </p><p>  “Did you not think that I would try to reason with the man to let you go?  Or that Freddie, John and I would have contacted the police and reported you missing?” Brian asked.  </p><p>  “On some level, I did,” Roger said, feebly.  He let a frustrated sigh before continuing, “Fred receives so much praise for being our lead singer; you’d easily think that Queen was his band and the rest of us are merely along for the ride.”  Brian was going to interject, but held his tongue.  “You’re the smart one for having a Ph.d, and John’s the youngest with lots of charm and natural talent.  Both of you have homemade equipment; you and your Red Special, and Deaky with his amp.  All I bring is my good looks.”</p><p>  “You’re smart too Roger; you’ve got a degree in biology, and before that you were studying to be a dentist.  You only quit that because it was boring to you; quitting something you’re not passionate about is very commonplace,” Brian said.  “You know we keep you around for more than your good looks; and the fans are crazy for your voice and your flare behind the drum kit.  I’ve always been impressed at how skilled you are; you have a gift with those sticks of yours.”  </p><p>  Silence hung between the two men and they both thought about what the other said.  Their emotions were raw and it didn’t help that neither could reach out to the other to clasp hands or draw the other into a tight hug.  After several minutes, Roger broke the silence.</p><p>  “What are we going to do when he comes back?” Roger asked.</p><p>  “I don’t know,” Brian admitted.  “I’ve never imagined anything like this happening.”  More time passed; Roger dozed off into a restless sleep and Brian was left with only his depressed thoughts for company.  </p><p> </p><p>Time lapse…..</p><p> </p><p>  Brian was jolted from his depressed stupor by a loud commotion of heavy footseps, shouting and then the door to the room in which he and Roger had been locked, being forcibly broken open.  A flood of relief and shocked joy washed through his body as a group of armed police officers entered the room.  At most, Brian could only comprehend that he and Roger had been rescued, but otherwise, everything else that happened between being found and taken to a hospital went by like a whirlwind of events.</p><p>  True to their word, the police notified Freddie and John as soon as Brian and Roger had been found and taken to a hospital.  John drove them with deliberation to reach their friends in a fast, yet also safe manner.  They were met by the lead inspector and given a briefing on what was known, and what to expect upon seeing their friends, before being allowed to actually see Brian and Roger.</p><p>  Roger was laying in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV.  His right leg was in a cast and elevated by a pulley.  There were a couple of cuts and lots of bruising on his face, and his wrists were neatly bound in white bandages.  In contrast, Brian was propped up on a reclining chair next to Roger.  His face was also sporting some ugly bruises.  </p><p>  “Darlings, you have no idea how relieved we are that you are both safe,” Freddie said, tenderly.  He went to Brian first, swooping down with open arms that couldn’t wait any longer to engulf the guitarist in a big hug.  John walked over to Roger.  </p><p>  “Hey Deaky,” Roger said in acknowledgement.  He was on a strong painkiller, but lucid enough to know what was going on around him.</p><p>  “It was awful not knowing what had happened,” John said.  Gently, he bent down and gave Roger a hug; they pressed their forehead together.  Then John and Freddie swapped places.  </p><p>  “Did the police arrest Gene?” Brian asked.</p><p>  “Well darling, it turned out that your psycho fan had plans of taking you on a trip to Mead, Nebraska of all places. The police were able to track him with his credit card when he purchased tickets at the airport,” Freddie explained.</p><p>  “Why Nebraska?  Isn’t that one of the flat states in the middle of nowhere?” Roger asked.</p><p>  “The police said that Mead is home to the Behlen Observatory, they believe that since you and Gene both love astronomy, that it made sense that Gene would relocate the two of you there,” John supplied.</p><p>  “So, then I guess he had plans of offing me before skipping the country with Brian,” Roger said, softly with a bit of sad detachment.  Freddie bent down and adorned the blonde’s forehead with affectionate kisses.</p><p>  “Don’t even think about that Roggie,” Fred ordered.  “You’re safe now, you and Brian both.  All four queens are back together as they belong.” </p><p>  Brian stood up and linked arms with John.  They positioned themselves opposite of Freddie.  John squeezed Roger’s hand closest to him and held his other hand out to Freddie, who happily accepted it with his own.  Brian smiled down at Roger.</p><p>  “We are a family Rog,” Brian affirmed.  “Let’s always remember that.”</p><p> </p><p>The End</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Clearly I took historical liberties... Brian received his Ph.d in May of 2007.  For hardcore fans who get caught up in the accuracy of details, please remember that this is a piece of fanfiction.  This is purely meant for entertainment.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks to anyone who read this.  I am perfectly fine with criticism, as well as anyone wanting to write their own story using this premise.  I could easily have unintentionally borrowed it from<br/>Someone else; I do read a lot of Queen fan fiction, so I profusely apologize if anything I ever write for this fandom feels like it was copied, and I will gladly take things down when prompted.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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